Florida State Heads West for Next Competition

TALLAHASSEE, FLA, October 21. CALIFORNIA, here we come. Literally. Florida State has announced the next competition for its men and women will be at Cal-Berkeley on Friday with a match the next day against the University of the Pacific.

With a pair of home meets under its belt, the Florida State University swimming and diving squads will take to the road for the first time in 2004-05 as they look for some California love with a pair of meets on the west coast. First up is a 1 p.m. battle against California on Friday (Oct. 23), followed by an 11 a.m. bout Saturday (Oct. 24) at Pacific.

Bears Offer A Tough Challenge
Perennial top-ten teams at the NCAA meet, the Cal women’s team finished sixth at last year’s meet, while the men were a spot behind. The women claimed three national title, including two by Olympic gold medal winner Natalie Caughlin. FSU did get the best of Cal in one event, as the Seminoles finish 11th in the 200 medley relay, three spots ahead of the Bears. The women are 1-0 on the year after beating Washington, while the men open the year with the Seminoles.

Pacific Will Test The Seminoles
Compared to Friday’s meet, Saturday’s contest at Pacific may seem like a walk in the park, but the Seminoles will have to be ready both days. UP’s women’s squad finished tied for 29th at last year’s NCAA meet after winning their third-straight Big West Conference title. The men finished second at last year’s conference meet after winning two-straight titles. This will be the season opener for both teams.

Florida State Rolls Over Florida A&M, Tulane And North Florida
FSU got a good tune up for this weekend’s meets when they hosted Florida A&M on both sides of the pool and women’s contests with Tulane and North Florida. The men cruised to a 253-34 win over FAMU, while the women’s team won 243-29 to go along with a 195-98 triumph against Tulane and a 234-63 win over UNF.

Heine Gets First Collegiate Wins
In his first two years at Florida State, Jared Heine (Honolulu, Hawaii) had never had the feeling of being the first one to the wall, but all that changed on Friday. The junior won both the 100 and 200-yard freestyle, while taking part in the winning 400 medley relay.

McClow And Tilbrook Dominate The Boards
There was very little suspense in the divining competition as Courtney McClow (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Alex Tilbrook (Largo, Fla.) swept both boards. McClow won the one-meter board by 23 points and had an 11-point margin in the three-meter competition. The rookie Tilbrook bested the next diver by 27 points on the three-meter and added a 13-point win on the one-meter board.

Killer Bee’s Win A Trio of Events
While the newcomers are still making a big splash — as was evidence in their eight victories on Friday — the veterans are holding their own. Senior Emily Breen (Savannah, Ga.) and sophomore Lauren Brick (Culpeper, Va.) each won three events. Breen captured the 100 free (52.32) and 200 individual medley (2:06.92), while Brick swept the 100 (1:04.66) and 200 (2:24.14) breaststroke.